So Not Stalking
by xIcyChanx
Summary: "One date," he stated, his eyes turning soft and his smile charming. He gazed straight in her eyes, hoping to make her give in and accept his invitation. But she wasn't about to relinquish so easily. Edeline smirked and answered with a simple, "No," leaving the Colonel to struggle to hide his dumbfounded look. But, is this person really who she says she is? [Roy/Fem!Ed]


_A/N Finally here it is! The longest one-shot I've ever written! I just love Fem!Ed so much and I've read almost every fic with it. Too bad there are not many that I particularly liked (only a selected few). I'm not as interested in it though if it's not RoyEd. I'm weird I know, since I'm not very fond of yaoi RoyEd (Edit: I am now, holy shit!) but here I am dying for RoyFem!Ed fics. I'm hopeless. Anyway, I want to say that I have no idea how I got this out of my system. At first, as you will probably notice, I was striving for Romance/Humour but the ending is nowhere near humour, so I'm leaving this catergorised under Romance for now. I might change it later, and you can give me your opinion if you want to as well. I appreciate any kinds of reviews and I'm open for criticism but please refrain from being rude; I can't stand that. Furthermore, I would like to apologise for any mistakes you may find in this. I only have two eyes and this is a long baby. Thanks.  
_

_Disclaimer; I do not own FMA but I'm such a good person that I made poor Edward a girl. Yay. Fem!Ed rocks.  
_

* * *

_—SO NOT STALKING—_

"Damn you Al," Edeline Elric grumbled annoyingly to herself as she sauntered down the busy roads of Central on a sunny morning, hands occupied with heavy shopping bags. Just a few hours ago, she had woken up, and her little brother, Alphonse, had had the strangest and out of the blue suggestion _ever_.

It all started out with him asking his one year older sister to go shopping for supplies, since they had just returned from a mission and were therefore low on food products. Ed hadn't really minded at the time and, finding out she had nothing better to do, agreed. However, when she had started to prepare for the day, Al had snatched her usual black leather pants and tank top out of her hands and, instead, replaced them with a, in Ed's opinion, horrifying, knee-length light blue dress. The blonde had stared at it, having been rendered speechless, more out of amusement than anything. She had thought Al had been kidding. She really had. So when he justified his actions with a nonchalant, "You haven't worn that in ages," Ed had been mortified. Too bad Alphonse always got his way.

So, that was why Miss Edeline Elric was currently walking down Central's busy streets in a baby blue dress, complemented by a white ribbon belt tied in a neat bow behind her, and surprisingly comfortable white high heels. Having let her blonde locks free from their usual braid, her hair flowed down almost to her waist and, along with her skin-coloured coverage for her automail, rendering her a completely different person to the usual obnoxious teenager Edward Elric the town was so used to seeing. No-one even recognised her, despite her rather unique eye colour and the well-known scowl that currently adorned her face.

Perspiration trickled down her brow and cheeks as she hoisted the bags upwards to get a better grip on them, the glaring sun making the task none too easy. She just wished she had never followed through with Al's plans in the first place. She would have been in a much brighter mood if they had just headed to the library and locked themselves in there for the remainder of the day. But no, Al had had to ruin it all. She didn't even have to see the bastard Colonel today, so she had figured her day would have been perfect. Too bad it was only going to get worse.

Biting back a curse no lady should use to express herself, Ed sighed and paused to look for a possible shortcut. She gazed to her right, but saw nothing other than the usual hustle and bustle on a weekday morning. She turned her golden eyes to her left, and managed to make out a narrow alleyway a few buildings up. With a deep breath and a small grin, she paced towards it as fast as her heels allowed, uncaring of the fact that that particular shortcut was very well known among military officers who headed to work on mornings similar to this one.

Just as she was about to turn the corner, eager to get home and change out of these horrendous clothes, her body collided with something hard that had her tumbling down on the hard concrete ground with a yelp of surprise, the bags flying out of her hands. She faintly heard a grunt of pain or surprise from whoever she had crashed into. Briefly wondering why everything had turned so dark, she soon realised she had closed her eyes during the fall. Groaning, she raised a hand to grab her head and opened her eyes with a little difficulty. She tried looking up and squinted against the glaring sun, but once her eyes distinguished the familiar blue uniform her breath got caught in her throat. She had collided with a military officer? Just her luck.

The man was silent, probably as stunned as she was at the moment. That, at least, she could understand. She gave another groan, and was ready to snap at him for not being careful, when a hand was extended in front of her and a very smooth and sickeningly familiar baritone voice reached her ears.

"I'm sorry there, Miss. Let me help you up."

She blinked in confusion and, with a frown of bafflement, looked up again in order to catch a glimpse of the man's face. Her golden eyes locked with his onyx ones, which widened as soon as he took in her face. They both inhaled sharply upon noticing who exactly they had each bumped into. Her commanding officer, Colonel Roy Mustang, was standing right there in front of her, his arm extended for her to take. She blinked once more, hoping he hadn't recognised her, despite her distinctive eye colour.

Figuring it would be best if she acted indifferent, she grabbed his hand with her left (just to be safe) to bring him back into focus and he hoisted her up, earning a grunt from her as she swayed to regain her balance. Roy was silent again, probably rendered speechless by his encounter with another person who shared such a magnificent eye colour as his youngest subordinate.

Almost losing her balance and ending up on the floor again, Edeline swayed precariously, until two firm arms wrapped around her waist and shoulders to steady her. She failed to cover up the blush that dirtied her cheeks at the unexpected contact. However, if Roy had noticed, which Ed was sure he had, he didn't comment on it but, instead, talked in that smooth tone of his again.

"Are you hurt?" That question alone made Ed realise the Colonel had no idea who she was. It almost made her laugh really; she could tease him for this endlessly. Taking notice of his expecting (and slightly concerned, Ed could add with an eye roll) look, the blonde realised he was waiting for an answer to his earlier inquiry.

With a deep breath, she looked at her feet and managed to choke out, "N-no, I'm...fine."

She sincerely hoped he hadn't recognised her voice.

Roy sighed in what Ed identified as relief and, seeming almost reluctant, moved his hands away from her and took a step back.

"I'm glad. What, if I may ask, is a young lady doing running around the streets so early in the morning?" His voice was mellifluous and enticing, making Ed wonder if that was all it took for a woman to fall for him. For a womanising bastard, he _was _doing it perfectly though, she would give him that. Even she was fighting a blush as his words danced around and caressed her ears. His voice was smooth and rich like dark chocolate, making it hard for her to even do as much as glance at his face without being sure her own would light up upon making eye contact. He had never spoken to her like that in the office.

She cleared her throat, hoping he wouldn't pry further into her business when she didn't offer an explanation. Instead, she found it ideal to ignore him and went to pick up the things that had fallen out of the bags. She crouched down in front of the fallen products and, picking up a now almost empty bag, started to hurriedly put them back. She was ready to grab a box of cereal, when a hand came and halted her movement. On impulse, she looked up, and belatedly realised she had made a mistake. Her eyes locked with his again. He offered her a crooked but alluring smile and, for the first time, she noticed the small dimples that formed on his cheeks, making him look years younger and...cuter. Immediately after that thought, her face started burning all the way up to her ears and down her neck. Roy was close, so very close that there was just absolutely no way he could have missed how fiercely red her face had become. She was positive his thoughts were partying right now.

She felt as if he had snapped his fingers straight in her face as tears of embarrassment formed at the corners of her wide eyes. She could almost feel the steam exit her ears. _Stupid womanising bastard..._

Roy averted his gaze down to their still touching hands, released her wrist and said, "Let me do that for you." Then, he started picking up the remaining things and placed them in the other bag Ed had been carrying. Once he was done, he stood up with her following, and handed her the bags with another one of his womanising smiles. No smirk amused and teasing, just a smile. It suddenly made her heart beat faster than what it was supposed to.

Barely refraining from placing her hand over her rapidly beating heart, she snatched the bags out of his hands quickly in annoyance and, avoiding eye contact at all costs, began walking past him, only for him to halt her movement once more by merely touching her elbow and grabbing it feebly.

"May I ask what your name is?" His tone gained some confidence and Ed realised this was the part that usually made the girl swoon and giggle. From his sudden self-assurance, she could also tell that this always went as planned.

_Well, time to break the chain of success, _Ed thought satisfyingly. She would not fall for such idiotic methods. She was different from the other girls around; she had known that for some time now.

So, turning around ever so slightly with an air of confidence of her own, Ed smirked and answered with a simple, "No," leaving the Colonel to struggle to hide his dumbfounded look. Ah, how could one word make you feel so satisfied with yourself?

An interesting idea popped up in her mind. "My mother always told me not to talk to strangers," she said innocently, causing the Colonel to splutter. Upon seeing the blank look he was now giving her, her shoulders started to shake precariously from suppressed laughter.

Roy's mouth seemed to be moving on its own as he asked, "H-how old are you?" As soon as the question left his lips, Ed raised an amused eyebrow, her smirk widening and Roy immediately noticed his grave error. Never ask a lady her age!

Clearing his throat as if to pull himself together and start over as the gentleman he was supposed to be, Roy extended his hand in greeting, "I'm Colonel Roy Mustang. It's a pleasure to meet you." Offering one of those luring smiles to cover up the slip up, Roy was now transformed back in gentleman mode but the seventeen-year old blonde just couldn't help being amused. She looked at the hand waiting for hers to shake, and then looked back at his face that seemed a tad bit more desperate and pleading than what it had before. Maybe he was starting to fear his first rejection and didn't want to have one of _those _to list to Havoc and the others when he got to the office late and in a foul mood.

Rolling her eyes and relinquishing (for even she wasn't that bad a person), she grabbed his hand and murmured, "Edeline," but offered no further information. If Ed had the opportunity to describe Roy's expression right then, she would have said he had beamed like a kid managing to convince a parent to buy him candy. His eyes lit up with hope of getting a date for the night, but soon gained a glint Ed had known to fear over the years under his command.

Once the hand shake was over and done with, Roy flashed a grin, "Any relation to...Edward Elric?"

She had to remind herself to breathe as she struggled to prevent her face from showing anything that would betray her identity. It was only then that she realised that what she was currently doing was incredibly dangerous. The Colonel was a smart man and, the longer she conversed with him, the faster he would put two and two together and identify her as his subordinate. And she could not allow that to happen. She had to get away from him, without just rushing off and seeming suspicious. That would just get him thinking, and using his brain was the last thing Ed needed right now.

However, before she formed an escape plan, she had to reply to the question, or leaving it unanswered would definitely give her away.

Raising her eyebrows in mock surprise, she replied in an equally smooth and calm tone as his had been moments before, "No. I do not know him. Why are you asking?"

Roy smiled apologetically and shook his head, "No reason really, you just have the same colours, that's all."

"Hm," she mused," Anyway, I better get going." Now was her time to flee! She just hoped Roy would let her go...which she doubted.

"Wait!" he shouted, just as she was about to take a step forward, making her halt and curse under her breath. Couldn't she just have bumped into someone else? Why did it have to be the Colonel, the infamous womaniser?

Her questioning gaze was enough for him to continue, "Wanna go out sometime?" Of course. The bomb. It was bound to come sooner or later.

She sighed in exasperation, "No. Now, really, I better get going. Sorry for bumping into you." The last part had been more of an afterthought and, by her tone, it was clearly stated that she couldn't care less about dirtying his precious uniform.

Roy shook his head, flashing her one of those grins again, though Ed could see that he was cracking. But there was just no way he would let a woman go so easily.

"Oh, come on, let me take you out to dinner as an apology for knocking you down. I really didn't mean that."

Edeline was just abstaining from throttling him.

"Really, I _can't,"_ she said forcefully, hoping he'd get the hint and piss off. "Sorry, but you'll have to add my name to your rejection list." She flashed a smirk and he raised an eyebrow in response, making Ed mentally slap herself. What if he figured it out?

His lips turned up to an excited smirk as he said, "I'm guessing you already knew who I was before I introduced myself?"

Ed feigned shock. "What? Oh no, not at all." Her ever growing smirk gave her away.

Roy moved closer and grasped both her elbows, pulling her slightly closer to him, though too close for Ed to feel comfortable. She started looking worried now. "Why do I think you're lying?" he whispered innocently, save for the excited glint in his eyes that told her just how much he was actually enjoying this right now.

Ed narrowed her eyes ominously, clenched her teeth and spat, "I'm sorry, but I _really _have to go." Barely refraining from fixing him with a fierce glare and her usual scowl, she turned on her heels, her hair brushing his face in the process, and started walking away.

Surprisingly, he didn't stop her this time, but just sat there and smirked at her retreating back.

* * *

Roy felt more than excited. He couldn't really say why, but the way that woman had been treating him made him feel challenged. And he liked it. It was a break in the routine to have to fight to get his dates, since all the others gave up before they even put up a fight. They just wanted to date him too much. But Edeline was different. And Roy could tell that she was at least _a little _interested, but wouldn't admit it. Maybe she had heard too many things about him, untrue things even. He wanted to fix that; he couldn't have beautiful ladies like her _rejecting _him because of some stupid rumours jealous ex-dates spread around.

As he watched her retreating form, Roy took in her curve-shaped body with an eager smirk. While conversing with her, he had managed to get a good look of her body altogether.

As she had fallen, he had noticed how slender her legs seemed, and that was when he had started getting interested. When she had locked gazes with him, those golden eyes took his breath away, though he guessed it might've been from the surprise at having met someone so similar to his youngest subordinate.

Her bust, he speculated, was probably a C-cup, but he could be wrong; he couldn't tell for sure until he had seen her in a tight dress...or nothing. His smirk widened at that, and he barely managed to contain his excitement and not rush over, grab her and drag her to a hotel room right then and there. He watched with mesmerised eyes as her ass swayed back and forth as she walked down the street. His eyes lingered there for a moment, before noticing her killer-curves with anticipation. He'd get her to go out with him. There was just no way in hell he'd let her slip right through his fingers.

Almost reluctantly, he tore his eyes away from her impressive figure and checked the time, only to curse under his breath. He had to be in the office in less than five minutes or Hawkeye would have his head on a silver platter. Biting his lip, he looked back at the now blue and yellow spot in the distance and, emitting another curse, he started sprinting towards it. He couldn't let a girl like her get away. There was no freaking way he'd make a _rejection list._ Those things simply did not exist in the everyday life of Roy Mustang. Sure, Riza would have to shoot him afterwards for being late, twice if she found out about his reasoning but, really, a girl like _her _demanded some attention.

_Until I find out where her house is...then I'll go to work, _Roy kept telling himself as he jogged down the streets, the blue and golden dot becoming larger and larger. Just until he had her address, then he would be able to find her again, and maybe 'bump into her' once more. Accidentally of course, so maybe she'd be dumb enough to change her judgment and think this must be fate. He seriously doubted that though. Her eyes had a rather wise shine in them, making Roy realise she was no normal woman. She was aware of all the things men were capable of, especially him. He briefly wondered who had told her about him to make her so bellicose. An ex who so happened to be her friend maybe? Probably, he thought annoyingly. Those damn women just didn't know when to get the hint that he no longer gave a damn about them.

Noticing he was close to her now, he hid behind a building a few steps behind her so she wouldn't notice anything was amiss. From behind the large wall, he peeked at her and couldn't hold back a smirk. Yes, he would have her, or else he'd go insane.

Finding it appropriate to move closer, he swiftly vacated his former position and confidently strode closer to her back. He kept a cautious distance between them, for he didn't want to be found out. She was heading towards a familiar street. One so close to his house it excited him. However, his excitement was cut short when she took an unexpected turn to her right and picked up her pace. He didn't falter a second and jogged after her. He was by no means stalking. Just observing her and, well, scrutinising her killer figure. Damn did that dress look good on her.

About half an hour later, Roy was getting tired of their little game. Where did this woman live anyway? He looked around and noted that they had already walked down this street three times. Realising with a start just how stupid he had been, he suddenly felt the inclination to burst out laughing. He smirked. Oh she was good. So very, _very _good. And he couldn't help loving every second of it. She was putting up quite an interesting fight.

When had she noticed she was being followed anyway? God, he didn't even realise! They had been running in circles for half an hour now, and she was probably patient enough to wait until he lost interest. But Roy was fascinated. He was all up for the challenge and, what he first thought of as a mere little game, turned out to be a high-intelligence challenge.

Managing to suppress yet another smirk, he leaned against the wall he was currently hiding behind for probably the third time now, and pondered his future actions. He had to come up with something shrewd and win, or else he would be doomed to create a rejection list; something he refused to do.

Looking back at Edeline, he noticed with a surprised start that she was now staring right at him with a bored expression on her face, and Roy couldn't help but notice how white her fingers on her left hand – _only her left? – _had gone from carrying those heavy bags for so long. He internally winced, but didn't feel necessarily bad for it; it was her fault she was in denial and refused to accept a date invitation.

As Roy stared at her, curious as to what she'll do next, Edeline sighed and shook her head in clear exasperation. "Are you going to be following me for much longer?" she asked with a hint of annoyance.

A sudden heat of embarrassment came over Roy, and he barely managed to refrain from blushing. For Roy Mustang did _not _blush. He came out of his hiding place, making an extra effort to seem confident and nonchalant.

"I'm sorry, Miss, but I believe you have been told some untrue things about me," Roy started, hoping to get her to realise just how mistaken she was. She raised an eyebrow as he continued, "I don't know who badmouthed me, but I can assure you that it's mostly lies."

However, she was smart, Roy came to realise once more, when she failed to fall for the bait.

"Interesting. But that didn't answer my question." Her right eyebrow rose next to her left one, and she flashed a smirk when Roy pursed his lips tightly and considered his next move. What was this? Nothing was working with her! All the other girls would have been kissing his feet by now. As much as he hated to admit it, he was running out of cards to play. He usually got this feeling when he was arguing with Edward, though in the end he'd win, sometimes by the skin of his teeth.

When he seemingly took too long to answer, Edeline sighed again and rolled her eyes. "Don't you have work to do or something?" He flashed a wry smile, and she had to suppress another eye roll.

Roy tucked his hands in his pockets and moved closer to Ed, who had placed the heavy bags by her feet and had folded her arms over her bust, making it seem even larger in Roy's eyes.

"One date," he stated, his eyes turning soft and his smile charming. He gazed straight in her eyes, hoping the eye contact would make her throw in the towel and accept his invitation.

They stared at one another for a solid minute, neither of them backing down, until Ed averted her gaze with a sigh of defeat. "It'll just be one right?" Her question delighted him and he had to remind himself not to ruin it by squeezing her in relief.

He smirked. "If you want it to be." That was what he always said, but usually after the first date, the girls wanted more. In general, the hardest part was to get them to go on the first date, though for Roy it wasn't that hard at all. All he needed to do was ask. Again, Edeline had been a significant exception.

She gave him a guarded look before unfolding her arms and sighing, unamused. "Fine..." she said reluctantly, making Roy grin like a madman.

* * *

Striding confidently towards his office, Roy couldn't hold back a totally pleased-with-himself smirk. He now had something else to brag about. Ah, he could just picture the expressions of his subordinates dripping with _jealously _as he recounted how exactly he had gotten a date from a very beautiful and hard to get woman. Perfect. That was how his day was going. Tonight, at eight o' clock, he would get to see Edeline in a magnificent dress that will probably complement her curves and bust perfectly. He couldn't wait. Damn work, if only he didn't need to come _here _and complete _paperwork_, he might have had the opportunity to spend the whole day with her. It was unusual for him to want to spend more time with a date than necessary, but he wasn't about to ponder it.

He sighed as he remembered exactly what he had to do for the day. Paperwork, more paperwork, even more paperwork, and a meeting with Fullmetal for his report. He heaved another sigh when he realised that his day was about to get boring as hell and the fun would start after eight o'clock.

Damn.

Upon opening the door to the outer office, Roy was greeted with the familiar scene of his hardworking subordinates quietly doing their own paperwork, whispering to each other softly when something was needed. Of course once they got bored they would as usual slack off, only to have Hawkeye point her gun at their temples in a wordless threat to continue, or die on the spot. Unsurprisingly, all of them decided to continue with their work, for going against Hawkeye was plain suicide.

He walked into the office, successfully catching the others' attention. They must have noticed his confident aura, because they raised an eyebrow and glanced at each other in a questioning manner. Havoc was the one who voiced the question that was no doubt passing through everyone's mind.

"No offence but...Why do you seem so happy, sir?"

Mustang raised an eyebrow in mock surprise. "Happy? I'm more than _happy!_" he scoffed, grinning widely.

Hawkeye raised an unamused eyebrow. "And why would that be sir? And by the way, why are you almost an hour late?" Her tone was stern and threatening, but Roy couldn't find it in him to care at the moment.

He gazed over all his subordinates with some kind of superiority, his head held high, and said, "I've got a date for the night, lady and gentlemen. And not just _any _date," he added when he saw the others lose interest and turn back to their work with mutterings of disappointment. "This woman...she's astonishing. She actually put up a fight. Way out of your league Havoc," he added, chuckling when Havoc seemed to perk up and open his mouth for details. Roy's words made him pout and sink into his chair with his arms crossed.

"What's her name?" Breda queried, more out of curiosity than anything as he swallowed a bite from his sandwich.

Roy smirked and puffed his chest out proudly, for he knew the answer. "Edeline." That was basically all he managed to get out of her, but he still felt proud of himself for it.

With that, Roy left them to their thoughts as he sauntered the rest of the way, and shut the door to his private office.

* * *

Ed sighed in frustration for what seemed like the millionth time that day. Did she actually accept to go on a _date _with her commanding officer? _Roy Mustang!? _She perfectly knew what he wanted; it was written all over his face as he spoke to her. If she didn't know better, she would have thought he had been drooling. Despite all that though, she had accepted. Truth knew what trick he'd try on her while on the date. What if he actually went as far as to try to seduce her?

Edeline felt a shiver go down her spine, and she shook her head hard to get those particular thoughts out of her mind. She bit her lip and buried her face further into the pillow it was currently resting on, emitting an exasperated groan. She didn't even have many female clothes, having disposed of them before she left for East City and joined the military. How this blue dress had survived was beyond her, though she had her suspicions Al had played a major role. Even so, now she had a date and she had no other choice but to deal with it. Al wasn't making it any easier though with his reprimanding.

"...You should have left when you had the opportunity. I know you could have, if you actually _wanted to. _But, brother, I know you better than you think, and I just _know _you liked it! You shouldn't have! What if he realises? Accidentally bumping into you in the streets is one thing, and you should consider yourself lucky he didn't recognise you right away! But, brother, going on a date with him is a completely different thing! He'll notice; he's not stupid! Well, you accepted. There's no turning back now. Hey, I even have a nice dress for you."

He turned to look at her from where he was rummaging through the suitcases for the aforementioned dress. He planted his gloved hands on his metal hips with an implied frown and said, "Suck it up and deal with it. Just hope the date goes smoothly and then you can never see him again." He paused as he re-thought what he had just said. "Well," he shrugged, "in a dress at least."

Ed groaned louder at that, lifting her head from the pillow, messy blonde hair sticking out at odd angles, and glared at her younger brother with great ferocity. Once she was done, she let her head fall back down with a soft 'thud' and sighed heavily.

Shaking his metal head, Al crouched back down at the suitcase and continued his digging. Meanwhile, he said, "Now, go get dressed. You've got a meeting with the Colonel for your report in less than ten minutes. Do me a favour and be punctual for once in your life."

Figuring it was best not to argue, Ed grudgingly dragged her body over to her clothes, and reluctantly sauntered towards the bathroom, her usual tank top and leather pants dragging behind her. Once in the bathroom, she slipped out of the cursed dress and, after carefully wrapping her chest in a bandage tightly, proceeded to pull her tank top on, her leather pants following. After securely buckling her belt, she picked up her brush and attempted to untangle her long locks.

She must already be late but, frankly, she couldn't care less. The last person she wanted to see right now was Mustang. Sighing, she set the brush down and quickly braided her hair. Once done, she jogged out of the bathroom and straight to the front door of the dorm room. After slipping her boots on, she grabbed her red cloak and left the room, leaving Al in charge of actually bringing the report.

As they walked down the hallways of Central Headquarters, Edeline grumbled under her breath about things Al didn't find coherent enough to comprehend. He was so used to this and he hardly gave it a second thought anymore. Halting in front of the large mahogany door, Ed took a deep breath and proceeded to slam the door open. The officers jumped, but realised instantly who had graced them with her presence.

"Hey Chief, Al," Havoc greeted lazily as he leaned back and balanced his chair on two legs, infamous cigarette between his lips. Ed nodded in response, and Al bowed politely.

"Hello everyone."

"Are you here to see the Colonel, Edward?" Hawkeye inquired bluntly, with a small hint of kindness.

Ed nodded again, this time shifting her expression to match how exactly she was feeling for the particular situation. Hawkeye heaved a soft sigh and gestured towards the inner office door. "Please refrain from flying off the handle." She knew it was futile, but tried nonetheless.

Ed rolled her eyes and sauntered casually towards the door to Mustang, only to pause in front of it. The crazy grin that now adorned her face was more of a warning for the others for what would ensue. Readying herself, Ed pushed the door open with such force it hit the wall and deepened the dent there from previous contacts. Immediately after the loud noise, Roy's head snapped up from where he had seemingly fallen asleep on his desk, and stared in shock at Ed, who sauntered over casually, his black hair messily sticking out from everywhere.

"Hey, bastard," was Ed's attempt at greeting as she threw the manila folder containing her report at Roy, barely missing his face.

Roy sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. "Hello Fullmetal." Dishevelling his hair even more by running his fingers through it, he opened the folder and started reading the report.

Ed flopped down on one of the couches, crossing her legs in a rude manner as she awaited the Colonel's evaluation of her work.

After a moment, Roy looked at her with a bored expression. "It's crap," he asserted flatly, causing Ed to jump up in anger.

"What!? Why!? Do you have _any_ idea how much time I spent on that shit!? I could've been doing so many _useful _things instead but you'd chew me out if I didn't bring you your goddamned report on time and now all you have to say is 'It's crap'!? Well if it's crap, you make it better!" she yelled angrily, causing the Colonel to rub his temples, wincing at the volume of her voice.

He sighed. "Edward, whatever you do... you won't be able to dampen my mood today." He flashed a smirk at Ed's confused expression. "I've got a date with the most beautiful woman on the planet, and I'm looking forward to it. So let's get this over with please so I can sleep until eight o' clock."

Ed blinked. The most beautiful woman on the planet? She suddenly felt awkward and uncomfortable. She started fidgeting and inching towards the door when Mustang took notice. "Are you all right, Fullmetal?" he asked. "You seem a little...flushed."

Ed froze. "U-um, y-yeah, I-I mean w-why w-wouldn't I b-be?" she stammered awkwardly.

Roy raised an eyebrow, but left it at that. He grabbed the report again and heaved another sigh. "You'll need to rewrite this."

All former embarrassment forgotten, Ed's head snapped up, her golden eyes blazing. "WHAT!?"

"Yes, it's true. I can't give this _shit_ to the Fuhrer," he said, holding the report in his hand as if he were repulsed by it.

"UGH! You're impossible!" She stomped her foot on the ground childishly and clenched her hands into fists.

Roy flashed a smirk. "It's best if you refrain from stomping your foot like that Fullmetal. It makes you look even smaller."

Ed pulled an ugly face and pointed an accusing finger at Roy. "Y-YOU B-B-BASTARD! I'M NOT SMALL!" She scoffed. "YOU'RE SO OLD YOU SHOULD BE GOING OUT WITH OLD HAGS!"

Roy's eyebrow twitched precariously, and he reminded himself that he had a wonderful date at eight o'clock, away from this annoying brat. And his date was by no means considered an old hag.

Regaining some of his former confidence, he smirked. "Hm. Whatever you say Fullmetal. Though I have to inform you that my date tonight can't be more than eighteen."

Ed spluttered in mock surprise. "EIGHTEEN!? AND YOU'RE, WHAT, FORTY!? Oh wait, FIFTY!"

Roy clenched his teeth. "Let me also inform you that I'm only _twenty seven_!"

Ed raised her eyebrows in a disbelieving manner, crossed her arms and smirked as if to say 'You're kidding, right?'

"...Fullmetal..." Roy grumbled threateningly, his hands subconsciously clenching the report harder.

The blonde rolled her eyes and brushed him off with a wave of her automail hand. "Yeah, whatever. Can I go now?"

Roy was silent for a moment, thinking if he had anything else for her, but eventually replied with a blunt, "Yes. You may go."

"Yes!" Ed exclaimed in relief, and started heading towards the door with a grin. "And re-write that report." She stopped. "I want it tomorrow." Her eyebrow twitched. _Tomorrow!?_

She half turned to the Colonel. "I can't have it done by _tomorrow, _you idiot!"

Roy raised a questioning eyebrow. "Why not?"

Her mouth twitched in a murderous smirk, her eyes blazing. "Because I have _other _and _more important _things to do that write your fucking report," she said calmly, too calmly to be considered normal for Edward Elric.

"Well," the Colonel started, unperturbed. "The military should be your first priority."

She barely refrained from spitting in his face that _he _was actually the one who would be taking up her free evening time, and that if the _military _was _more important_ then she could just easily cancel right then and there. Instead of doing just that though, she let out a frustrated huff and fled out the door.

* * *

As Edward left the room, Roy slumped in his chair and sighed, his hands working their way up to massage his aching temples. Why did Edward have to be so loud all the time? He glanced at the clock pleadingly, but sighed when he realised he still had two hours before his date. He wanted time to speed up so much. He looked back at the large stack of papers on the right side of his desk, and then looked at the other one on his left, which was considerably smaller. He sighed. Curmudgeonly, he picked up his pen and began the painful signing.

He must have fallen asleep again, because when he awoke his head had been on the desk, his hand still clutching the pen feebly, and the clock now showed seven-thirty-six. He should have left thirty minutes ago, but guessed that Hawkeye hadn't woken him up as punishment for not catching up with his paperwork. He sincerely hoped she wouldn't be as cruel as to make him set Edeline up on the date in exchange for paperwork. That would just be...There wasn't even a word that described such a horrendous and heartless act.

Grabbing his coat, he left his inner office and noticed that everyone had left except for Hawkeye and Falman, who seemed to want to complete his paperwork first. He saw how Hawkeye eyed him when he offered a goodnight, and chose to pick up his pace and leave while he still could. Like hell she was going to keep him here!

He had about twenty minutes to go home, get ready and then head straight to their meeting place; in front of a restaurant of his choice. A grin made its way onto his face as he started guessing possible outcomes of the date. There were just so many, and most of them were positive, so the grin turned into a smirk as he thought about specific ones that ended in a hotel, or more specifically, in a hotel _room_.

He got into his car and drove home as fast as he could. As soon as he unlocked his front door, he made sure everything was tidy, just in case he brought her home with him, which was an extremely rare occurrence for him, and then proceeded to get dressed. For the first time in years, he had difficulty picking an appropriate outfit. He had no idea what she would wear, so he didn't want to seem too formal or too underdressed were she to come differently. Sighing, he closed his eyes and blindly grabbed a neat white button up shirt he kept for similar occasions, and some random pants he figured he hadn't worn in his life. They were all right though. Hurrying to the bathroom after realising he had to be there in ten minutes, he had a shower and got dressed at the speed of light, combed his dishevelled black hair, brushed his teeth and shot out of the room. He pulled his shoes on quickly and grabbed his black coat. Then, he was out and back in his car.

* * *

"Al...you can't be serious."

Ed was staring incredulously at her younger brother, who seemed to have gone nuts. She gazed back down at the garment in his arms, then looked back up at him again.

"You're wearing it. We have nothing else." Al said matter-of-factly as he extended his arm with the dress to Ed, who took it, still too stunned to argue.

"Al...Where did you even _get _this?"

Al grinned as best as he could and seemed rather proud as he said, "Awesome, isn't it? I bought it for you a while ago, and I just _knew _you'd need it one day." He winked at her. "I'm sure it will fit you just _perfectly!_ The colour's nice too; I know you like red."

Ed stared at it as if it were her first time seeing clothing. "Al...This barely covers shit!" she exclaimed incredulously, waving the red clothing around. Her little brother purchasing revealing dresses for her; that was something she _never _expected to become reality.

Al scoffed. "Don't worry, it just seems like that now. Once it's on you won't have that problem! ...I hope," he added after a second, and made Ed groan in protest.

"Al! I have _these_ to hide REMEMBER!?" she yelled angrily, raising her automail arm to Al as if to remind him about its existence. Al shook his head, however, having thought about that beforehand.

"Don't worry. You have your automail glove-coverage things right?"

"...Well...I suppose you're right..." Ed murmured, her flesh hand on her chin thoughtfully as she gazed at the garment. After a moment, she sighed. "What am I even thinking? Al...the Colonel might take it the wrong way."

"Wrong way?"

"...H-He might think I'm trying to show my...stuff off." Her cheeks burned and she turned around, too embarrassed to do as much as glance at her – supposedly innocent – little brother.

"O-Oh!" was Al's startled reply. He rubbed the back of his metal head in what could be interpreted as an apology, and seemingly blushed. "You think he'll try...I dunno...stuff on you?"

Ed's face was on fire as she hugged the dress tightly to her chest subconsciously and gave a hesitant nod, which Al barely saw for she was turned around.

"Oh joy..." Al sighed, sitting on the bed at his left. "Well, at least try it on, though...Really now, we haven't got anything else and you have to be there in ten minutes. No time to buy anything better." He shrugged apologetically when Ed glared at him.

Sighing, she looked back at the dress and said, "I guess I can live with it for one night." She grinned suddenly,a thought occurring. " It's not like I can't stop the bastard from continuing with something...inappropriate." Her grin turned into a smirk as she admired her hard automail hand and tried picturing the moment she'd bring it down upon his big, fat head.

This date couldn't go that bad.

* * *

Roy parked the car in front of the restaurant and, after getting out of it, his eyes immediately started searching for a quite short blonde. He felt relief when he realised she hadn't come yet, giving him a few moments to prepare himself for what was to come. He walked over towards the entrance of the restaurant and waited.

He didn't need to wait long until he saw a hesitant figure approaching. The long golden hair was all he needed to see to figure out who it was. A smile made its way onto his face when he saw Edeline walking towards him. She hadn't spotted him yet, and when she did Roy lifted a brow as he noticed her face burn all the way up. She was dying for him, he knew.

She stopped walking suddenly, and Roy started becoming impatient. He hadn't managed to get a glimpse of her outfit yet, for it was concealed by various plants placed in front of the restaurant. He was ready to move, to walk towards her, when she snapped out of whatever had been on her mind and, with a furious blush, walked over to him.

His eyes widened when he took her in.

Her long blonde hair was left free, much like he had seen her earlier that day. She had chosen an elegant red dress, which hugged her body perfectly and highlighted the shape of her curves and breasts. It didn't reveal too much cleavage, and for some reason Roy had known she'd wear something relatively discreet. However, the same couldn't be said for the lower part of the garment. The dress stopped at the middle of her thighs and left her slender legs naked for everyone to enjoy. Roy briefly wondered if she had someone else pick out the dress for her, for she kept pulling it down self-consciously as if uncomfortable with the shortness of it. A pair of red high heels covered her feet, and Roy noticed they gave her just the right amount of height for her not to be considered short.

She kept fidgeting and playing with her hands, and he realised she wasn't used to going on dates. It did make sense actually, considering the fight she had put up before. The lights outside illuminated her figure standing under them, and it almost seemed like her hair was shining and her dress sparkling. She was beautiful. He refused to admit that his mouth was slightly agape and his eyes wide, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"How long are you planning on staring?" Her rough but definitely feminine voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he looked at her pretty face, which was now scowling at him. He blinked back into focus as she spoke again. "It's rude to stare you know."

God, _of course _it was! Where had his manners gone?

Shaking his head a little, he moved closer to her and offered her his hand while saying, "You look astonishing."

She glared at him as her cheeks became red. He noticed she hadn't applied any make-up. "Yeah right..." she murmured, but accepted his hand nonetheless.

They walked inside the restaurant, and a waiter guided them to their reserved table. During dinner, they spoke about several things, which were mostly insignificant. He didn't mind though, and didn't comment on the fact that she avoided answering questions about her life. She seemed relaxed, but Roy couldn't help noticing the tense shoulders and her guarded replies. She refused to look at him in the eye, and played with her glass a lot by moving it around and staring at it. He couldn't help but think she was hiding something, something important. Nevertheless, he was not one to confront a girl about her well-kept secrets during a date, and so evaded asking personal inquiries and anything else that might make her uncomfortable.

Roy had always been a little guarded himself when on dates, and constantly seemed like the perfect gentleman, when behind the mask was a cheeky child in a man's body. He always recalled Hawkeye's scolding voice about being immature when he did something...well, immature.

However, that was what he was doing right now. He didn't know why or how, but one rude comment from the woman across from him about some people at the table adjacent to theirs, sent him into a giggling fit he would later deny furiously. For the first time, he allowed his gentleman mask to slip, and the child in him resurfaced as he made impolite comments about the people next to them, who also seemed to be on a date and oblivious to their giggles and chuckles. Edeline seemed to have a child in her as well, as she didn't hold back at all when stating her opinion and seemed completely carefree.

Roy couldn't deny the fact that he felt attracted to her. They had a lot in common, it turned out and when they disagreed Ed wouldn't giggle like stupid and give in, telling him that of course he was right and how stupid she had been to believe otherwise like his other dates did, but instead she'd stand up for her opinion and give reasons to support it while throwing in a few curse words Roy was amused to hear come from her mouth. If he didn't know better, he would say she was male in a female body.

He made her laugh and all, but he couldn't help the nagging feeling in his gut that told him that she was hiding something very important, and that he wasn't supposed to find out about it. Really, how had she known so much about him when he met her? It was like she had known him for years, judging from the way she spoke to him, completely unperturbed that a random stranger would start talking to her at random. He bit the inside of his cheek and made a mental note to ask her later. Maybe then, after the date, he'd get some answers out of her.

* * *

Dinner passed quite pleasantly for Ed, since Mustang evaded asking her many personal questions, and instead strived for lighter subjects. Trivial ones, things people didn't necessarily care about. Despite the person she was with and the pointless discussion they were having, Ed felt like she was having fun. She was enjoying herself and that unnerved her a little. So far, he hadn't even suspected her, and she was glad for that. Hell, she even laughed at some point when he commented rather rudely on the attire of some other people sitting at a table close to them. By that she had found out that they actually had something in common; their immaturity. Roy had said some things he would normally never say while with his other dates, but he had let himself be free with Ed, most likely because Ed had been the one to comment impolitely first. Roy had been surprised at first, but laughed along and opened up more to her. Eventually they ended up gazing at everyone in the large room and giggling like children.

It was rather...nice, being away from the tense and professional atmosphere that was dominant inside the office, and instead just enjoying each other's company with no screaming and cursing involved. Ed almost wished the moment never ended. Almost. Her identity was still in danger, and even though she looked absolutely relaxed and easygoing, she kept an eye on the Colonel and knew when to change the subject of the conversation when it started heading down a road she wasn't fond of. Furthermore, she thought her words through before saying them, hoping words like 'bastard' and 'don't call me small' rants that were so frequently used by Edward wouldn't leave her lips.

The restaurant provided necessary warmth, since outside the temperature had dropped considerably. It was a really expensive place, Ed had managed to deduce after looking around. Everything just left her in awe. She had never been to a place like that before, and wondered if Mustang was planning on paying the bill or if she'd have to make him. She hadn't brought any money after all.

She looked back down at her glass, which contained some wine, and took a sip while she listened to Roy answer one of her questions eagerly. She smiled when she stole a glance at him and took in the childlike glee that was emitting from him in waves. She almost chuckled. Like this, he didn't look too old at all, and she guessed that maybe the tense atmosphere in the office and the constant professionalism around him made her feel as though she was being interrogated by a much older man. But here, his smile wasn't anything like the annoying smirks he graced her with in the office, but more easygoing and carefree. They made him look much too cute for comfort. Like this he was just a normal person, not her commanding officer, who held his head high and gazed at her with piercing black eyes that held some kind of superiority. For once, she felt her age.

Suddenly, Roy cut himself off, looking around curiously while she followed his example. The lights were dimming considerably, and she could barely make out Roy's face across from her when they stopped. Soft music started playing soon after and Ed heard people start whispering and clapping as a spotlight turned on and lit up the place slightly. She noticed people getting up from their seats to dance, and she was left with a confused expression on her face. What was all this all of a sudden?

"Edeline?" she heard Roy question across from her, and she turned, offering him the same questioning expression she was giving the scene in front of her before. He smiled and leaned forward to whisper,"Wanna dance?"

Her breath got caught in her throat, and her eyes widened while her face paled and then reddened. Roy chuckled at her reaction, stood up and made his way in front of her. He pulled her up gently, and she allowed him to, too dazed to argue. She looked at him incredulously. "I can't dance," she blurted out flatly, making him smirk softly at her.

Gently, he wrapped an arm around her waist and grabbed her right hand. His touch made her heart beat faster and her face feel hot. He instructed her to put her left hand on his shoulder as he pulled her a bit closer before starting to move slowly.

Ed's face was on fire. "Col- I mean Mu- I mean Roy," Ed stuttered awkwardly as her body went rigid. "I-I d-don't think t-this is a good idea..."

Roy raised his eyebrows confidently. "Why not?"

Ed took a deep breath and exhaled. "I can't dance."

"Well, you're doing it right now."

She looked up at him with wide eyes, and he smiled at her, making her cheeks flush again before averting her gaze. "I'm not good at it though," she murmured.

"You're doing fine," Roy assured, squeezing her arm and waist tighter for reassurance.

"...Really?" was Ed's disbelieving answer.

"Yeah."

Ed gave a hesitant nod as they danced in silence.

* * *

Truth be told, Roy had asked her to dance for two reasons. The first was because he wanted her close to him. At some point, she started making him feel weird inside, and he couldn't necessarily say he liked it. It made him feel bizarre and nervous. And he didn't like that. The sudden want to be closer to her arose and so, he asked her to dance.

The second reason was because, as they were conversing, he couldn't help but compare her to Edward. Their features were too alike to be considered a coincidence. His mind couldn't stop concluding that they had something to do with each other, Edeline and Edward, and so he figured that, by dancing, he would be able to get a closer look at her face and see for himself if Edward and this woman were as alike as he thought.

He gazed down at her as they danced, and the small blush on her cheeks made him think that she looked so much cuter that way. Their bodies were almost pushed together, but neither of them did something to change that. He held her right hand and her waist, but surprisingly didn't try to move his hand closer to her behind. Maybe he had learned already that, if he did that, it would mark the end of the date, and he'd have a red cheek to nurse on his way home as well as try to swallow the humiliation that would bring.

His mind travelled towards the thoughts that plagued him. She was hiding something. He could tell by her posture and her body language. But what could she possibly...? Roy frowned softly as a ludicrous thought occurred to him. He studied her hair and noticed it was the same colour as Edward's. Her fringe was the same length and style as well. Hell, she even had an antenna!

Roy breathed in deeply, earning him a questioning glance from his date. Their eyes locked and he studied her face. Her eyes were that bright gold like Edward's, and held the same wise glint in them as the eyes of a person who'd seen the horrors of life and hell itself. There was sadness in them, guilt and regret. But there was knowledge as well. A lot of knowledge of the world tainted slightly by childish ignorance. Roy could read Edeline through her eyes as well as he could read Edward.

At her silent inquiry, Roy shook his head with a smile, and she nodded before looking back down.

His thoughts were ridiculous; this woman couldn't possibly have so many characteristics that resembled Edward Elric so much. Something was up. Looking at their holding hands, Roy tried to determine whether her right hand could possibly be made out of metal. To him, it seemed flesh enough. But then, he knew from experience that looks can be deceiving.

Curiously, he tightened his hold on her hand, and then looked back at her for her reaction. Nothing. He raised an eyebrow. Couldn't she feel anything? Wasn't she at least a little confused as to his sudden squeeze? He bit his lip and turned his attention back to their hands. He pondered whether he should try squeezing her until she yelped out of pain. Then, there was no way he wouldn't get a reaction.

So he squeezed.

He squeezed until his knuckles were white and he was grimacing. Nothing. Her hand was hard as steel and unfeeling, and he didn't feel anything that signified a crack of a bone from the pressure. It was just...nothing. Looking back down at her, he wanted to make sure before coming to conclusions.

"Hey," he called out to her. She looked up with a questioning glance. "Don't you feel that?"

Her confused look made him suck in a breath. There was just no way she could possibly be...

"Your hand. I'm squeezing it. Hard." He made sure his voice wasn't accusing but curious.

She gazed at her hand, placed softly in his, and then back at him, before saying, "O-oh sorry. Can you stop doing it now? It...hurts."

Roy raised his eyebrow. "But I'm not doing it now." He couldn't help but notice how her body suddenly tensed, and how her eyes widened just a fraction.

She seemed to be at a loss. "O-oh, y-yeah, I knew that."

"Is there something wrong?" he asked softly, and she held in her breath. She shook her head vigorously, flashing him a smile, though Roy immediately saw it was fake.

"No! Why would you think that?" She was lying; her tone was much more eager and excited than what it had been throughout the whole date.

Roy squeezed her hand again one last time. He smirked when he received no reaction to the pressure. "I'm squeezing it again." She paled significantly, and he bit back a chuckle. There was no denying it now. Her hand was made of metal; automail. And her attributes were exactly like his subordinate's.

Ed gulped. "Uh..."

Roy saw how she started panicking, trying fruitlessly to find an excuse as to her unfeeling arm. Her breaths started coming out in short gasps, and she was blinking furiously. "I have automail!" she blurted out with wide and panicked eyes. Now she just needed to find an excuse as to why and th–

Roy leaned in to her ear and whispered, "I know."

Her breaths were coming fast now, and Roy wondered if she'd start hyperventilating. She looked around frantically and started sweating. Despite all that though, she seemed to be forcing herself to calm down, to get a grip and think up a lie.

"Y-yeah, I, um..."

Roy smirked amusingly, and decided to torture her a little more. "And your left leg's automail. Am I wrong?" Her eyes widened and her heart rate increased incredibly; Roy could almost feel it hammering as he held her against him. Her grip on his shoulder tightened subconsciously as she tried to come up with something, anything to say to defend herself. But nothing was coming.

"I..." her throat closed up and she swallowed hard. Her face burned. She started shaking.

"Are you okay? You've gone really red, Fullmetal."

Time stopped for Ed as she gazed into Roy's eyes in complete disbelief and horror. He smirked at her trumphantly, but Ed couldn't find it in her to retort. She was feeling dizzy. Everything was moving and it was only Roy and her in the middle. She swayed precariously, and barely noticed Roy's smirk vanish and being replaced with a frown as he helped her stay upright. She was shaking like a leaf now, her eyes wide and perspiration trickling down her brow and cheeks like a river. Her breathing was fast and came in short inhales and exhales.

He knew. That was the only thing that was running through her mind at that moment. He knew. After all that he had figured it out.

"Hey, are you all right?" she heard him say, but his voice was far away, too distant for her to pay attention. Her mind was screaming at her to get away but her dizziness prevented that. She felt like she was going to be sick. Her stomach was in knots and she craved a place to sit down on.

She felt two strong hands lead her back down on her chair and she brought her hands to her rapidly beating heart as if that would make it calm down. Her wide eyes saw Roy crouch down in front of her and put a hand on her knee. His face was full of concern and...was that fear? She detected worry and regret as well swimming inside those black eyes that were actually a dark blue.

"Hey...Calm down," he instructed gently. She had never heard him use that kind of gentleness before. "Breathe." She tried to follow his instructions of breathing in and out and then again, until everything that she previously saw as double started coming together as one again. She kept her panicked eyes glued on his face as he spoke to her.

After what seemed like ages, she got her breathing under control again and her shaking had reduced significantly. Luckily for her, Roy hadn't asked for assistance and hadn't made a scene, so everyone was out of their business and doing their own thing. She briefly noticed that the way he was crouched on one knee in front of her, and the way she had her hands over her heart would make others think he was proposing to her.

He got up then, and crouched back down a moment later with a glass of cold water. He handed it to her and she gripped it tightly with both her shaky hands.

She took a sip, and he hesitated before saying, "Are you all right?"

Her voice wavered greatly as she whispered, "Y-yeah..."

"Geez, you scared the living shit out of me then." He tried to sound annoyed, but the intense worry and fear he had been feeling drowned its effect.

She managed a shaky smirk. "S-sorry..."

He frowned at her as she took another sip of the water and looked down at her lap. The silence that ensued was uncomfortable for them, and Roy wanted to break it somehow, though he was afraid of bringing up the subject that was bound to be discussed sooner or later in case she started panicking again. Ed seemed to sense his reluctance.

"I-I'm okay now," she reassured, and Roy nodded unsurely.

"What was _that_ about?" He stood up and offered her a hand. She took it.

"I d-don't know, I just panicked, I think."

Roy snorted as he led her outside for some fresh air. "No shit."

He payed the waiter and they left the restaurant. They stood outside and he gave her his coat when he realised Ed hadn't brought one. She wrapped it around herself tightly and took several deep breaths. Roy stood next to her, unsure of what to do. He gazed at her warily as she tried to calm herself down some more.

She noticed and glared at him. "I'm fine, Colonel!" she snapped angrily, and Roy would never admit that he flinched.

He ignored his body's response and silence cut between them again.

"So...this is why you can't rewrite the report for tomorrow, huh?" Roy said, his tone nonchalant and blunt.

Ed grunted in annoyance. "You and your fucking reports."

Roy chuckled humourlessly. "So you're a woman huh?" he mused, making Ed grunt again. "And your name's...Edward?"

"Edeline, moron."

"Oh."

Silence.

"You know..." Roy started as he motioned for Ed to come along when he started walking down the pavement. She did. "I'm just wondering...who picked out that dress?"

Ed made a choking sound and Roy chuckled. She spluttered and blushed as she said, "Al did. That little devil probably picked the shortest thing in the store! And I'm not short!"

Roy rolled his eyes at that and they walked in silence until they reached a small park. He leaned against a tree, looking back at Ed. "Are you all right now?"

Ed gave him an annoyed glance. He nodded.

"Hey Colonel..."

"Hm?"

"Did you..." Ed blushed. "Did you have fun tonight?"

Roy blinked and looked at her in surprise, making her blush even further. He turned back and gazed on the horizon as the wind picked up and ruffled their hair. Ed pulled the coat around her tighter.

"Yeah," he replied with the same gentleness as before, making Ed stare at him in wonder. "Did you?" The query caught her off guard and she stuttered for a few moments before rushing out an affirmative.

Roy smiled. "I'm glad."

The blonde gave him a wary look. "Hey Mustang, knock it off. You're creeping me out."

Roy laughed easily and turned towards her with a soft smile. "Yeah? Why? Wasn't I treating you like that throughout our date?"

"Well...yeah, but still. Then you didn't know...who I was." Ed averted her gaze and looked at her high heels. It felt weird being with Roy like this. She couldn't explain it but it made something react inside her stomach, like butterflies. One look at him and it made her feel lightheaded.

"That doesn't matter," he breathed, making Ed look at him incredulously.

"It doesn't?" she asked, doubtful.

Roy shook his head, moving close to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders, before pulling her against his chest. She started. "Woah, woah! C-colonel...?"

It wasn't a hug. It really wasn't. They weren't relaxed and cuddling with each other. Not at all. It was weird and uncomfortable. Ed had her hands around the coat stubbornly and only tightened her grip with every passing second she spent in Roy's arms. Her left side was flush against his chest. Roy had wrapped only one arm of his around her shoulders and his other hand remained stiffly at his side, and it seemed like he didn't know where to put it. Ed noticed his tense muscles. This was as awkward for him as it was for her.

Despite the peculiar feeling though, they stayed like that for a long moment, bodies rigid before Roy decided to speak. "I said in the office that I had a date with the most beautiful woman on the planet." She blushed; she remembered that as well. He paused. "I meant that."

Her eyes widened, and she looked up at him with an incredulous look on her face. He couldn't be serious, could he? She was Edward Elric, damn it! His subordinate! The obnoxious kid he knew since she was eleven and the very one who brought upon him several headaches. She just couldn't believe he was being serious.

"R-Really?" she inquired, making sure she put all the emotion and doubts in her tone. He nodded, his face as blank as a sheet of paper.

Ed didn't know what to say. She squirmed in Roy's arms but he didn't let her go, only tightened his hold on her. He wasn't looking at her, but on the horizon, and she noticed he made an effort to keep his mask up and not disclose any of his emotions. She tried hard to stop the flattered smile from appearing, but failed when it spread over her face. He was the first one to ever compliment her like that. Her cheeks flushed, and she embarrassedly buried her face in his chest and leaned into him.

He smirked at her reply.

"Bastard."

* * *

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